Job responsibilities
The following are the core
responsibilities of the Practice Nurse. There may be, on occasion, a requirement
to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload
and staffing levels:
a. To act as [or support] the
Infection Prevention Control (IPC) lead and to work to the IPC Policy providing
[or supporting the implementation of] audits, training, support and evidence of
compliance to the practice manager
b. To produce [or support the
production of] the IPC annual statement in conjunction with the practice
manager
c. To develop, implement and embed an
effective care management programme for the frail and housebound patients
registered at the practice
d. To assess the needs of patients
ensuring the provision of healthcare is appropriate, incorporating
evidence-based practice
e. To develop, implement and embed
health promotion and wellbeing programmes
f. To implement and evaluate
individual treatment plans for chronic disease patients that promote health and
wellbeing
g. To identify, manage and support
patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects
to patients health
h. As required, to provide routine
nursing care to patients in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and
the NSF
i. As required, to diagnose and
manage acute and chronic conditions
j. To prescribe medication for
patients in accordance with PGDs and own scope of practice
k. To review patient medications to
enhance compliance
l. To provide guidance to patients in
the use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications regarding side effects
and dosages
m. To co-ordinate the provision of
travel medicine services
n. To request pathology services and
process pathology results as required
o. To oversee the provision of
chronic disease clinics, delivering patient care as necessary, referring
patients to secondary/specialist care as required
p. To maintain accurate clinical
records in conjunction with extant legislation
q. To ensure read codes are used
effectively by all members of the nursing team
r. To ensure the appropriate
maintenance and use of chronic disease registers
s. To develop, implement, embed and
participate in well woman clinics
t. To develop, implement, embed and
participate in well man clinics
u. To ensure compliance with the
practice chaperone policy
v. To assist GPs with minor surgery
when required
w. To prioritise health issues and
intervene appropriately
x. To support the team in dealing
with clinical emergencies
y. To recognise, assess and refer
patients presenting with mental health needs
z. To implement vaccination
programmes for adults and children
aa. To support patients in the use of
their prescribed medicines or over-the-counter medicines (within own scope of
practice)
bb. To liaise with external
services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable
patients etc.)
cc. To delegate clinical
responsibilities appropriately (ensuring safe practice and the task is within
the scope of practice of the individual)
dd. To support the clinical team with
all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies
ee. To understand practice and local
policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients
appropriately
ff. To deliver opportunistic health
promotion where appropriate
Secondary responsibilities
In addition to the primary
responsibilities, the Practice Nurse may be requested to:
a. Develop and review audit protocols
and process for the practice, effectively utilising the audit cycle
b. Develop, review and implement
nursing protocols in conjunction with the partners
c. Support all members of the nursing
team, providing guidance when necessary, conducting appraisals and training
needs analyses as required
d. Participate in local initiatives
to enhance service delivery and patient care
e. Support and participate in shared
learning within the practice in order to improve patient care
f. Continually review clinical
practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate
g. Participate in the review of
significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach, i.e., root
cause analysis (RCA)
h. Coordinate the nursing team rota,
ensuring sufficient staff are available to meet patient needs
i. Lead the planning and
implementation of changes within the nursing team, enhancing the provision of
services to patients
j. Support the practice team with the
reviewing and implementation of practice policies and protocols, ensuring
conformance to extant legislation
